After settling in, Nadia wanted to go sightseeing. Nadia took almost all of the “attractions” brochures from the lobby. She was deciding what we should do. It came down to some Gone with the Wind thing, the Georgia Aquarium, or going to World of Coca Cola. I wasn’t trying to go anything related to Gone with the Wind, so we decided on World of Coca Cola.

We drove to downtown Atlanta. There wasn’t much traffic, but there were a ton of people. Apparently this was a busy weekend for Atlanta. In addition to the race, Dragon*Con (a sci fi convention) was taking place.
 
And, Virginia Tech and Alabama were opening their college football season at the Georgia Dome. There were fans everywhere. Surprisingly enough, there were more VT fans than Alabama fans, including six, shirtless Tech fans who were painted orange wearing masks/helmets made of pumpkins.

After driving around looking for parking, we found several lots. Unfortunately, most cost $30 to park (because of the game). Of those that were in the $10 – $15 range, they were only accepting parking for the game. I guess since we weren’t painted bright orange, or drunk, we weren’t football fans, at least to the parking lot attendant. And, $10 from football fans must be better than $10 from non-football fans.

We found a lot a few blocks away that was $10, but it was unattended. There were numbered spaces and a box with slots that corresponded to the spaces. The sign wasn’t 100% clear in its wording, but from what I gathered, you slid your $10 in the slot. Someone would come check on the box periodically. If there was a car in a spot, but no money in the slot, that car would get a ticket, and eventually a boot. (Someone had a boot in the lot. I wonder if they really got the boot, or if this was to encourage you to actually pay for the parking.) $10 bought you the whole day. But, at 6 a.m., the clock would restart. So, you would have to put another $10 in or get a ticket.

We walked to the World of Coke. It was hot, and there was a long line, but it was moving. I would guess that it took about 10 minutes to get in. The VT-Alabama game didn’t start until 8 p.m., so there were a lot of football fans there, killing time. Not to mention the typical number of Labor Day tourists.

The tour was pretty cool. We got to see “what happens when you put your money into a Coke machine.” According to the animated movie, there are all sorts of cartoon-ish creatures touching your Coke, so you should probably not drink directly from the can or bottle. I don’t think Coke tests the creatures for swine flu, and I doubt they wash their hands or tentacles.

We didn’t get to meet the Coke polar bear, as he was on break during our tour. I guess even a polar bear needs a smoke break. The tour is self-guided, which means you pretty much wander around by yourself. There were also a lot of people, which meant that any pic could be ruined by someone walking right into your shot. Or, people would crowd the pic-worthy things, so if you actually wanted a pic, you would have to wait, and wait, and wait. But, it was still fun.

You’ll learn how Coke is made, if you didn’t already know. Let’s see… they take syrup, which contains the “secret formula,” and mix it with carbonated water. Then they bottle it, then ship it. Wow, that’s complicated. I find it interesting that they have this huge machine with lots of hydraulic parts on the tour that does the same thing as a tiny, unimpressive soda tower located at the movie theatre.
 
Back in the day, a soda jerk would put the syrup in a glass, add the carbonated water, and then you’d have to stir it, like making chocolate milk. I find it interesting that despite the fact that Coke kept its consistency and tastes the same as it did when you had to mix it (or so they say); no one can make chocolate milk that’s the same as when you mix it yourself. All pre-made chocolate milk is thicker, and heavier. Sorry, I’m getting a little off topic.

Anyway, in the little Coke factory, there was a guy loading Coke onto a pallet. I was wondering if he was really working, or if he was just an actor. He looked like a guy who works in a warehouse – if there is such a look – so I wasn’t sure. If he was really working, that would suck. Not only do you have to work on Saturday, but you have to deal with tourists snapping your picture all day.

We also got to see Coke’s 4-D movie. 4-D means 3-D with moving seats. It was fun but I wish they would have told us we might get squirted with a little water beforehand. I wonder if it was Dasani, or tap…

After wandering around and checking out the movie, we headed over to the tasting room, which is the end of the tour. Visitors can sample all different Coke brands in all the different parts of the world. It’s interesting to taste the different flavours. North Koreans and Chileans have weird taste buds, I guess, because their drinks tasted awful to me.
 
When free samples are involved, all bets are off. People were crowding the soda towers. When I wanted to taste something, I would fill my cup and step aside and let others go. The majority of people, however, thought it was better to stand in front of the soda tower, tasting everything, oblivious to the line of people forming behind them waiting for them to get out of the way. These same people couldn’t seem to keep the drinks in their cups. The floors were as a sticky as a movie theatre’s. Coke employees struggled to keep the floors clean.

After tasting most of the soda, we headed toward the exit. They give you a bottle of Coke – presumably made while you watched – to take with you. And with that, the tour ended.

Ironically enough, there was no mention of Coke originally being a cocawine on the tour. Also, some people argue that Coke is aggressively marketed to children, and based on the tour, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I mean, animated videos, a man in a polar bear costume, a 4-D movie filled with magic, singing and dancing, and moving seats like a roller coaster… does it really sound like any of that stuff appeals to kids? No, I didn’t think so. Hogwash!

We tried going back to the aquarium, but the lines were too long so we went to dinner next.